The lake was cold—but he was colder.

As I stood on the dock I heard the water splash from the fish in the lake. The cool breeze flowing seemlessly across my bare skin. The rustling of the autumn leafs as they fall to the ground. As I looked at nature at its finest, I thought to myself—nature. How can a world be so bright yet so dark? Beautiful on the outside—yet the longer you look you realize how disturbing it really is.

As I look at the incredible sight, I come back to reality. I look back down as the little boys body floats on the surface of the water. His eyes cloudy—his skin pale as frosted ice. How could the world be so cruel to display such a scene against this beautiful one of nature? Maybe I’m thinking of it wrong. Maybe he was lucky to have such a beautiful final resting place. Yeah. I like that conclusion better.

To make a horrific scene turn to a scene you can’t look away from.

I look at his lifeless body floating peacefully a good last time. Though I knew it wouldn’t really be the last, it would in this moment. As I grab my signature lily of the valley and a handful of dirt, I open the boys mouth as I carefully put the dry soil in his mouth, stopping halfway to place the flower neatly as I fill the rest of his mouth with the remaining soil. It wasnt moist or fresh, but instead crumbled apart in my hand. I didn’t think the flower deserved such a fate so I grabbed a handful of water from the cold lake, pouring it over the dirt. Perfect—the boy and the flower can rest peacefully together now. I push his body out into the endless water. Watching the scene unfold magestically as now I can look up again. Seeing the nature around flowing like it’s just another day. But now my lily of the valley is part of it.

His unbreathless body is colder than the lake—but against the breathtaking sight, it felt a little warmer.